Memories Prologued
by Lass Cherrie
Summary: DISCONTINUED / An entry for Mika's contest. A back-story for Kish. / One boy. Two girls. An enemy. A challenge. And one huge betrayal none of them could ever have envisaged... K/OC
1. Prologue

**Hey, Fictioners!**

**Yeah, anyone who thinks this is strangely familiar: I posted this up a while ago, but my computer had problems and it was screwing up and the fic wasn't showing up in My Stories, so I'm trying again! LOL. Damn technology!!**

**So, this is my entry fic for Mika's backstory of Kisshu (see 'CONTEST ALERT!'). The rules, just for anyone interested who does not already know:**

1. Kish must have had a different name when he was human.

2. Kish must have NO memory of being human.

3. Must be Kish-x-OC, and your OC must be Ryou's cousin, and they must have been friends with Kish when he was human.

4. As well as Ryou's cousin, you must have another OC; Ryou's cousin's friend.

5. It _must_ begin with a prologue.

6. It must be over 5 chapters.

7. The deadline is May 6th, 2009.

**Anyway, so this is my entry :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew, or Kisshu. I do, however, own his human form, and the two OCs used in this fic.**

**I dedicate this story to Mika herself. She's had a bit of a rough time lately, what with the whole 'Sukira' disaster. Go easy on her, guys. -hugs- **

* * *

**Memories Prologued **

Prologue

* * *

"Reborn White Dream Purification!"

Brilliant white light exploded from the end of my twisted golden staff, momentarily dazzling the room. I removed my arm from where I'd thrown it across my face to protect my eyes, opening them again.

The bright red-orange tongue of flame crackled further up the frame of the door, eating into the walls and furniture of the enormous lounge room. The crackling and spitting was so loud my ears were ringing. The smoke was so thick I was practically gagging. And it was so hot, I could feel the beads of sweat running rivers down my forehead.

"It's not working!" I called desperately, my voice a strangled choke.

"Just keep trying!" Mei called back from somewhere on the first floor of the mansion. Her voice echoed back to me along the burning hallway. I heard her shout her own attack, and the blast that followed.

"Reborn... _White Dream Purification_!" I shouted, raising my staff again. Once more, there was the flash of white light as I focused my attack on the fireball before me.

And once more, my efforts were wasted. The flames crept closer and closer to the roof, engulfing more of the room with each passing second.

With a roar, the thick velvet curtains framing the arched windows caught alight.

I stifled a horrified scream and stumbled backwards instinctively, tripping over the lip of the expensive Persian rug. I tumbled to the floor, choking heavily on the putrid smoke.

There was an excruciatingly loud crash from one of the other numerous rooms, and lots of booming thuds, followed by the unmistakeable high pitched scream of my best friend.

"Mei!" I yelled fearfully, climbing to my feet and lurching through the burning doorway, into the smoke-filled hall. "MEI!"

She didn't answer me. I staggered along the wide corridor, dodging falling pieces of roof plaster as the mansion began to collapse around me. It had once been breathtakingly beautiful, the Shirogane manor, but now the fire was destroying all that Dr. Shirogane had worked to create.

I couldn't find her. Every room I searched in was empty, save for the flames and rubble. Tears began to well up in my already stinging eyes – I could hardly see as it was with all the smoke, let alone with the tears blurring my vision – and I backed out into the hall from the kitchen, straight into someone else. I squealed.

"Oh! Hikari!" he cried, grabbing my shoulders to steady me.

"Keiichiro!" I gasped, relieved. I looked up into his youthful, handsome face, searching frantically for the reassurance I always found in his beautiful brown eyes. There was nothing but panic in them today.

"Have you seen anyone else?" he asked, his lovely voice reduced to a rasp. I shook my head, reminded again, and the tears spilled over.

"Where's Mei?" I croaked. "She just _screamed_!"

"I don't know," he replied. "I think the dining room just caved in."

"My attacks aren't working!" I sobbed. "What do we do?"

Suddenly, he stiffened, his eyes tense.

"Wha–?" I began, but he held up one long-fingered hand to silence me. Then I heard it. The faint, childlike voice calling from above us.

"Mom!" There was a short pause. "Dad!"

"Ryou!" we both gasped at the same time. His wide, horrified eyes mirrored mine.

"Ryou!" Keiichiro bellowed, letting go of my shoulders and running towards the burning oak staircase.

"Keiichiro, no! You'll get killed!" I screamed in terror, chasing after him.

"We've got to get him out!" he yelled back, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Wait – _WAIT_!" I shouted, right on his heels. I reached out desperately and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, yanking on it with all my strength to stop him. It was insanely lucky I had, too; part of the roof caved in, crumbling down right in front of us – a ball of plaster and fire. Keiichiro instinctively pulled me to him, shielding us both from harm. His breathing was ragged, his heart racing against my ear.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, letting me go after a moment. "Did you get hit?"

"I'm fine," I replied shakily. I licked my parched lips, steeling myself. "Let me go get Ryou. You go look in the other rooms for anyone else. I'll meet you out the front, okay?"

He gazed at me for a few moments, and we cringed instinctively as more of the roofing crashed down around us; a hail of lethal, burning debris. Finally he swallowed and nodded.

"Okay."

I took off at a run, skirting around him and continuing up the staircase.

"Hikari!" Keiichiro called. I stopped and turned. His brown eyes were soft.

"Be careful."

I nodded once, forcing a reassuring smile, and started running again.

The upper storey hallways were in worse shape than the ones downstairs. I couldn't see anything through the fog of smoke, and I fumbled my way in the direction of my cousin's bedroom, trailing one hand along the wall. The plaster was boiling hot against my fingertips; I could feel my skin blistering.

"Ryou!" I called, fighting the reflex to choke as I inhaled another lungful of the smouldering air. "Ryou, where are you?!"

"Hikari!" his young voice replied, and I forced my legs forward, faster, desperate to find him. "Hikari, I'm in here!"

"I'm coming!" I shouted, darting through an open door on my left to avoid being crushed by another shower of burning plaster. I leaped over the pile, ignoring the flames licking at the carpet, and practically broke the door down, crashing my way into his bedroom.

He was huddled in the corner, his arms and legs drawn into a tight ball, tears staining his pudgy little cheeks. He looked up with enormous, terrified azure eyes, and I watched them fill with relief. I dropped to my knees and he clambered to his feet, stumbling forward into my embrace. I hugged him tightly – his small body felt so vulnerable in my arms.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Ryou asked, his little voice trembling.

"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "But we've just gotta get out of here, okay? We'll get out first and then we'll find your parents."

"Okay," he agreed, wiping at his smudged cheeks with ashen hands.

"Alright, Ryou, I'm going to pick you up, okay? I want you to hug my neck really tight and close your eyes, alright? Can you do that for me?" I asked seriously, letting go of him. He nodded wordlessly, his big blue eyes wide.

"Good boy."

I reached down and scooped him up bridal-style. His small arms encircled my neck, and I clamped him firmly against my chest. The smoke in his room was getting so thick my eyes were running like rivers. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. Breathing was excruciating – my throat burned, and with each breath I forced into my lungs, it felt like pieces of sandpaper were scratching together, all the way down my windpipe.

"Hold tight, Ryou," I shouted over the crackling and the roar, "And do _not _open your eyes, am I clear?"

He nodded against my chest. I took as deep a breath as I could, backtracked two steps, and launched myself at his large bedroom window, turning my shoulder so my wings would protect us from the glass.

With an epic crash, we plunged through the pane, and suddenly, we were free-falling. Acting purely on an instinct, I unfurled my wings and beat them hard, twice. Shards of glass had embedded themselves into the delicate skin, burying themselves among the dirty, white feathers, and I screeched in pain, listening to the hail of glass pattering to the earth below us.

"Hikari?" Ryou cried in alarm, patting my cheeks worriedly with his hands. "Are you okay? Are you hurting?"

"Don't worry," I somehow managed to croak through the excruciation, reassuring myself as much as him. "We're fine. I'm okay. Keep your eyes closed, alright?"

"Okay," he mumbled, and I flapped my wings again, gritting my teeth against the searing pain in my wings. I lifted us away from the house, gliding carefully towards the brown-haired figure I saw near the marble fountain.

"What part of 'be careful' involves throwing yourself through a window?" Keiichiro demanded furiously, coming forward to meet us. I miscalculated the distance between the ground and my feet, landing clumsily and severely jarring an ankle. I managed to stay upright, despite the exhaustion tearing at my limbs, the burning in my wings, the reeling of my head, and – in recent addition – the sharp stabs in my ankle.

Ryou clambered down carefully from my arms, running at Keiichiro and tackling him in a bear hug. I choked and gasped in the suddenly fresh oxygen – it burned my searing throat. Before I could register what was happening, I was tumbling forwards.

Keiichiro must have caught me, though, because I didn't feel the thump of my body hitting the ground, like I expected, and I instead found myself leaning heavily against something – or someone.

"Are you okay?" his voice asked anxiously in my ear. I tried to nod my head, but it lolled weakly.

"Here," he said, lowering me gently to the earth. I lay where he sat me, my head still spinning. "We need to get you to a hospit–" he broke off, his voice catching. I wondered what had caused him to fall silent; a heavy sense of meaning crashed down around us, and I knew something was wrong.

Very wrong.

I forced my blurry eyes open and pushed myself up from the ground, following his gaze towards the double-door oak entrance to the mansion. Oh God, I hadn't actually looked at the glorious manor from outside. Flames engulfed almost the entire building, licking greedily out of the windows. Smoke billowed from every cavity – doors, windows, holes, even the tiles in the roof – rising into the blazing orange-red sky like an eerie black fog. The entire scene was absolutely terrifying.

But it wasn't actually the mansion Keiichiro was staring at, his brown eyes almost emanating his disbelief.

It was the figure emerging through the doors, walking calmly towards us like the host of an extravagant party coming to greet his guests, rather than the survivor of a terrible house fire that had potentially claimed the lives of my best friend, aunt and uncle.

He was tall and slender, with skin so white it was like porcelain. His body was elegant, almost feminine, his muscles long and wiry. His eyes, fixed on us, gleamed a rich golden, like melted honey; his thin lips curled back from his pointed fangs in a superior smirk. His seaweed-green hair tumbled over his shoulders in loose waves, shining with a nauseating beauty as the flames reflected against it.

He was like no one I'd ever seen, and yet, I recognised him immediately.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. I tried to place him; tried to work out where I'd seen him before. Why were his eyes so familiar to me? Why was there a niggling feeling in my stomach that I _knew _him?

My breath was knocked out of me with a whooshing sound as I put the pieces together.

I'd run my fingers through his hair so many times before; ruffled it many a time, be it fondly or irritatingly. I'd stared furiously into those eyes during arguments, fought the urge to punch that nose when he'd disagreed with me.

But it didn't make sense.

His eyes were _brown_, not gold. And his hair... his hair was brown, too. I was sure of it. Maybe my smoke-filled eyes were playing tricks on me. Perhaps the boy before me really _was_ my friend; perhaps my exhausted mind was mutating his image – distorting my vision.

"Kesshi!" I called, relieved, pushing myself up even more. He didn't reply. There was no flicker of recognition on his strange, elfin face. That sinister, creepy smirk was fixed in place.

"K... Kesshi?" I whispered, feeling my eyes widen with confusion.

He walked towards us, smiling. Behind him, the Shirogane mansion erupted in an ear-splitting explosion of glass and mortar.

* * *

**So, this was the prologue for 'Memories Prologued'.**

**I don't know when I will next have this updated; maybe after I've updated MA again.**

**Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Until the next update,**

**Cherrie-Sakura**

**xxox**


	2. Disneyoholic

**Hey Fictioners!**

**So, I had completely forgotten about Mika's competition, until the email appeared announcing sakuuya's update to her entry. I went 'Whoa! Whoops! I should update that!'**

**So I'm updating it :)**

**Thanks to sak, for reminding me :P**

**This chapter is rather uneventful, as it just properly introduces Hikari's ties to the Shiroganes. Also, it's meant to be a bit of an insight into the context and times of the story. Things start to roll next chapter, which, by the way, is also finished XD**

**So, read on, MacDuffers.**

**Disclaimer: Own Toyko Mew Mew, Cherrie does not. May the Force be with you.**

**

* * *

**

**Memories Prologued**

Chapter One

* * *

"Come on, Mei, let's go!"

I turned the volume dial of my radio, increasing the volume as TLC's 'Waterfalls' started playing. Seriously, what kind of American teenage girl did not love this song? I hummed along while I waited.

_Don't go chasing waterfalls,_

_Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to..._

I honked the horn of my soft-top Jeep and turned my head to watch the front door of her double-storey, classic 'American Neighbourhood' house. The Kazukis had a neat, flat front lawn, a neat paved driveway, and neat, matching curtains in their neat windows. They had a cat and a dog, every Sunday morning they attended Church for an hour, and once a month they had family picnics in the park.

Yeah. They were _that _kind of American family. Very '1950's'-esque.

Finally, the front door opened, and my best friend of forever, Mei Kazuki, skipped out. She beamed at me and waved, planting a kiss on her mom's cheek before dancing towards my car. I watched her, with her cute, flicky-outty, shoulder length mousey brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes, and couldn't help but smile at her.

She really was as cute as a button.

"Where to?" she asked, bouncing in her seat and pulling on her seatbelt.

"McDonalds," I replied, grinning. "And then to Wal-Mart. I've gotta get some toys to take to my uncle's tonight."

"Why are you going there again?" Mei asked, as I pulled out of her driveway and zoomed up her street. She was gazing up at the fluffy white clouds, enjoying the late summer sun on her peachy cheeks.

"I'm babysitting my cousin, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Good old Mei. Memory span of a fish.

"You hungry?" I asked, steering out of the backstreets and onto the main road, heading towards the busier districts of Medford.

"I could eat a burger," she replied, shrugging. That was answer enough for me.

We pulled into the McDonald's Drive-Thru and ordered through the voice in the speaker box, peeling around to the window to pay and pick up our food. I shoved the brown paper bag full of greasy goodness into Mei's lap and steered back out onto the road.

"Can I eat mine?" she asked, poking around in the fries. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. I've just gotta get to my uncle's house before five," I replied, glancing in the rear-vision mirror before changing lanes. There was an enormous Wal-Mart store off to the left, and I veered into the parking lot, killing the engine and leaving the keys in the ignition.

"You won't kill anything while I'm gone, will you?" I teased, hopping out of the car. Mei poked her tongue out, turning the dial up on the radio at the same time, so that a Backstreet Boys song blared loudly across the lot, attracting us a lot of disapproving looks.

"Ha-ha," she replied sarcastically. I grinned.

"Be right back."

I don't know how, but I always managed to get lost in a Wal-Mart store. It was the same with K-Mart. They were just so... _big_. I nearly always ended up wandering in circles, more often than not ending up somewhere ridiculous, like Kitchenware rather than Women's Hosiery.

It was no different today.

By the time I eventually found the toys section, I only had just enough time to grab a couple of colourful-looking board-games and one of those new Beanie Baby things and scram. I made my way back to the counter to pay, ducking into the food aisle to grab some pre-prepared cookie mixture.

"Ugh, stop singing, Mei. You know you're tone-deaf."

I slammed the car door behind me, dumping the Wal-Mart bag on the backseat and starting the engine. Mei ignored me, warbling on at the top of her lungs. I winced when she hit a particularly terrible note, and reached out, turning off the radio.

"Hey!" she protested.

"I warned you," I replied, backing out and almost hitting a passing Ford.

"But I like singing!"

"That's great, but no-one else likes your singing."

"I think my heart just broke."

"I think my eardrums just exploded."

"Shut up," Mei laughed, hitting my arm and reaching for the dial again. I slapped her hand away. She waited two seconds, like I knew she would, and darted forward, flicking the radio on before I could even catch her hand.

"Hah!" she said victoriously, immediately humming along with Janet Jackson. I rolled my eyes and turned it off again.

"Ugh, I hate Janet Jackson."

"Well _I _don't."

"Well _I _do, and it's _my _car and _my _radio, so either turn it over or turn it off," I laughed. We wrestled over the dial for a while, until I almost swerved into the back of a petrol tanker. After that, Mei sat back in her seat, picking at the black nail polish on her half-bitten nails, and I focused my attention on the road.

"What time are you meant to be at work?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen. Mei shrugged.

"Five-ish."

"Well, you're gonna be early," I told her. "Just a heads-up."

"Great." Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

Applebee's appeared not much later. I parked and let her out, glancing up and down her uniform.

"You know, that outfit is totally, like, amazingly flattering on you," I said in a falsetto bimbo voice. She rolled her eyes, pulling a face.

"Like, thank you!" she chirruped. I laughed and she waved, dragging her feet off towards the doors.

_Hah_, I thought to myself_, sucks to be her_.

~o~

My uncle and his family lived about an hour's drive from my house, through the city and out the other side. Their 'house' was built on top of a sloping hill that overlooked the rest of Boston, and I gazed out over their amazing view as I climbed the slope in my Jeep.

The driveway was long and very straight, lined with cedars all the way down to the roundabout with the marble fountain which constantly bubbled with sparkling water, no matter the season. I followed the drive and parked unceremoniously out the front of the manor, locking the doors with the keys, and glancing back over my shoulder at the wide, neatly manicured lawns and animal-shaped bushes.

Then I turned my eyes to the abode of my kin. It was big – two storeys tall and goodness knew how long. It had countless rooms, and velvet curtains, delicate trimming and huge, beautiful French-glass panelled, arch windows. A wide set of white marble stairs led up to the large double-door oak entrance, which I walked up to and lifted the big brass knocker of.

A maid opened the door.

A maid.

She bowed politely, obviously noticing the similarities in my features to those of my uncle and aunt, and stepped back to let me in. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the huge, gilded mirror set in the wall on my left.

The Shirogane's were notoriously recognised for their fair skin, platinum blonde hair and big, enchantingly blue eyes, none of which had been left out when I was being assigned my genetics. My hair, silky and long, even in its ponytail, was just as blonde as my distinguished uncle's, my eyes just as bright as my cousin's. Really, I could have easily passed for his older sister.

Everything was expensive, and very, very shiny. It never ceased to amaze me how clean it all was. They must have had about a dozen maids running around, keeping that place in tip-top condition.

You're probably wondering how it was my relatives came into such wealth. Well, all I can say is that my uncle was some kind of big-shot professor. One of those really famous ones who's recognised for their work, and somewhat of a celebrity among the smart people of the world. I'm not sure exactly what it was he studied – he'd never really told me. He was some kind of doctor, though – I knew that much.

"Hikari!" a deep voice boomed in pleasant greeting. There he was, in the flesh. Dr. Shirogane made his way down the grand oak staircase towards me, extending his arms out in a welcome. I embraced him, and he stepped back to examine me, his thick blonde hair shining in the million shards of light cascading from the chandelier above us.

"You get more beautiful every time I see you," he laughed – it was a merry, comforting sound. I smiled.

"Aww, you're just saying that because you're related to me."

"That's right, sweets, so don't go getting ugly any time soon," he waggled a warning finger in my face, laughing his booming laugh again. "Oh, I'm only teasing! Come through, kiddo – Ryou's in the kitchen."

He strode away, looking very impressive in his black-and white tuxedo and shiny black shoes. I followed at his heels like a dog, staring around at all their expensive belongings as we traversed the length of the hall to the enormous kitchen. It wasn't like I'd never been there before, but every time I visited they'd acquired exotic new ornaments from their many overseas trips. There was always something new to examine.

My ten-year-old cousin was sitting at the stainless-steel island on a tall round stool, swinging his skinny little legs back and forth, his gaze focused out the window at the setting sun. He didn't look up as we walked in.

"Ryou, your cousin's here," Dr. Shirogane announced cheerfully. The kid looked around obediently, his azure eyes focusing on me for a moment. There was a big Band-Aid stuck over his nose, and one of his eyes was a little bruised.

"Hi, Ryou!" I greeted, smiling widely, pretending I hadn't noticed his beat-up face. "How are you?"

"Hey," he finally said, sounding bored. He didn't say anything else. Dr. Shirogane glanced at me apologetically, and strode over to his almost-perfect-look-alike son, clapping him on one small shoulder.

"Now, you be good for Hikari, alright?" he murmured. "She's a nice girl, and she'll be lots of fun."

I nodded encouragingly when the kid glanced at me again. "I bought Mouse Trap."

"... Okay, Dad."

"Good boy. Your mother and I have to get going now, and we'll be back late tonight, so your cousin will tuck you into bed and read you a story, okay?"

"Okay." His voice was small and weak.

"See you later, kiddo." Another clap on the shoulder; Ryou swayed in his seat.

"Bye, Dad."

Dr. Shirogane beckoned for me to join him in the hall; obviously whatever he wanted to discuss was an 'adult' matter – not for his son to hear.

"We're just going to be at a professors' convention just out of Boston, alright?" he said, holding out a small card, on which he'd written a few numbers. "If there are any dramas, call the first number, and Josephine – Ryou's nanny – will come and help you out. If there are any disasters, call the bottom number and ask for me, and we'll come straight home, okay?"

"Yep. Sure," I replied, pocketing the card. "Thanks."

"I doubt there'll be a problem. Ryou's a good kid," he went on, grinning at me. I smiled.

"Kentaro, we have to go," a woman's voice called lightly from the entrance. Mrs Dr. Shirogane was standing by the oak doors, dressed in a lovely gown of vibrant red, her long golden hair swept up in a bun. The jewels at her neck and ears sparkled in the light.

"Oh, hi, Hikari," she greeted warmly. "Thanks so much for doing this for us."

"Oh, no problem," I replied, hands in pockets, humbled. "Don't sweat it."

"Alright," Dr. Shirogane said with finality. "We'll be back about eleven. Make sure Ryou's in bed by nine thirty."

"Sure thing," I replied. "Have a nice night."

The door shut behind them and I was left alone in the bright entrance hall for a moment. Sighing a little, I wandered back into the kitchen, forcing a friendly smile to grace my face. I got to spend the entire evening with my anti-social cousin...

Woot.

~o~

"So... are you hungry?" I asked, leaning across the island opposite him. He shrugged a little, looking up at me every now and then. I didn't know why, but this kid was still shy in my presence, even though I'd been his babysitter about a half-dozen times now.

"You want some macaroni?"

Another shrug. I took that as a yes.

"Alright."

I started to prepare the macaroni and cheese, putting a pack of pasta on to boil and finding the milk and cheese sachet in their many pantries and refrigerators. Occasionally, I'd glance at Ryou, to check what he was doing. He had his nose buried in a thick book, reading silently.

"What'cha reading?" I asked casually, trying to strike up a conversation. He held the book up for me so I could read the title. Microbiology: A Study of Cellular Organisms. I felt my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise.

"Heavy stuff."

"Not really."

He went back to reading. I stirred the cheesy sauce through the pasta, my thoughts elsewhere. He was a strange boy, Ryou. Intelligent, just like his brilliant father, but shy. Very, very shy. We certainly didn't have much in common, despite our similar Japanese heritage, genetic appearance, and familial relations. He hardly spoke a word to anyone, and every time I saw him he was bruised, scratched or bandaged. I'd never asked him about it before, but tonight I was curious.

"Why do you have a Band-Aid on your nose?" I asked, keeping my voice light, trying not to sound like I was probing. "Did you fall over, or something?"

"No."

I wondered if I was going to get more than a one-word answer.

Keeping my irritation under control, I dished some cheesy pasta into two bowls and slid one across the island. Ryou set down his book and picked up his fork. I sat down on the stool beside him, and tapped his nose once, gently.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry!" I exclaimed, alarmed. "I didn't realise it hurt so much."

He stopped glaring at me and dug into his macaroni with a kind of angry vengeance. I bit my lip, watching the steam rising from the pasta.

"I got hit."

Come again?

I blinked at him, surprised that he'd spoken.

"By a ball?" I asked. He shook his head.

"A boy hit me."

"He punched you? With his fist?" I couldn't hide my shock. Ryou nodded, his cheeks red.

"... Why?" I asked.

"He said I was weird," he mumbled. "He said _normal _boys play games at lunchtime, that _normal_ boys don't read books." He looked up at me with huge eyes filled with uncertainty. "Does reading make me weird?"

"No!" I gasped immediately, wondering where this sudden urge to talk had come from. "Of course not, Ryou! Reading isn't weird at all... In fact, reading makes you smarter than the other boys."

"I'm not supposed to be smarter than the other boys." I had to lean closer to him to catch his mumbled words.

"Your dad's smarter than the other dads," I pointed out. He looked up at me, and I nodded, smiling. "And he doesn't get teased. He's _envied _by the other dads."

"The other boys don't envy me."

"I bet they do. Secretly, I bet every single one of them wishes they were as smart as you."

"No they don't."

"Sure they do!" I sounded way too cheerful for my normal self. I sounded like a television presenter on a morning kid's program.

"Mom says I shouldn't fight back," Ryou said, stabbing some pasta. "She said it makes me as bad as them."

"Do you like it when they fight _you_?" I asked, anger bubbling up inside me at the thought of whoever these punks were, picking on little Ryou, who was on the small side for his age, anyway. He shook his head, thinking about it. I watched him for a moment, then got up loudly and dumped my half-eaten macaroni in the sparkling steel sink.

"You're better than them for not fighting back, Ryou, because you're a bigger person than them." I snickered internally, feeling like a hypocrite. If it was me being bagged, well, the offender would get a decent taste of my fist, that was for sure. "Come on – let's go watch a movie."

"Okay."

~o~

Ryou hardly spoke to me again for the rest of the night. I didn't particularly mind; it was normal when he didn't talk, so I wasn't worried. But it had been interesting talking to him – knowing some of what spun around in that little genius brain of his. Most of it was chemistry or physics-related, though he did mention being involved sometimes with some 'project' his father had been working on lately.

We headed upstairs to the rumpus room – a big den filled with beanbags and squashy armchairs – and I put on one of their epically huge collection of videos. _The Lion King_ – Disney's most recent animation, which had only been released on video a few months ago – was soon flashing on their big TV, and I was quickly engrossed, being a sucker for kids' movies.

About halfway through, I looked around, and found Ryou curled up in an armchair, reading his Biology book again. I shrugged it off, not letting myself be offended by it, and extracted myself from my beanbag. He glanced up instinctively.

"I'm going to bake some cookies," I explained with a big smile. "Do you want to help?"

He shook his head, turning his eyes back to the page.

"Alright. I'll be back in a little while. Don't go anywhere."

I must confess, cooking was not exactly my forte. Baking I was okay with, for the most part, as long as it was something simple, like cupcakes or cookies. Those I handled like a pro. It was the more advanced recipes – like actual meals – that I struggled with.

I mixed the ingredients, distributed them on two trays and had just slid them into the flashy black and silver oven when my cell phone went off. I pulled it out of my pocket, flipped the front down and pulled up the antenna, hitting the 'answer' button.

"Hello?"

"Hikari?"

"Mei?!"

"Yeah, there's nothing happening at Applebee's, and I'm bored," she explained. I could hear plates clattering and people talking behind her – the general hum of a restaurant.

"You know you could get fired for this?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Whatever," Mei replied. "It's not like I care. I'll just get another job."

"Yeah, because there are hundreds of jobs just waiting in a neat line for you," I said sarcastically, setting the timer on the microwave. Her girlish laugh trilled in my ear.

"What are you up to?"

"Baking cookies for Ryou."

"Yum! Can you bring me one?"

"No, butthead – I'm here until, like, midnight," I scoffed. "You could come get one if you want one that badly."

"Can't – I don't have my car, remember?" she replied, sounding dismayed.

"That, and you're _at_ _work_."

"That doesn't count. They wouldn't even notice I'd gone."

"They would. They love you."

"No they don't! My boss forgot my name – _again_. He called me 'Jessica' today."

I laughed, thwarted.

"Are we going to the mall tomorrow?" Mei asked. I grinned to myself.

"You're getting your pay-check tonight, aren't you?"

"How do _you _know that?" she demanded, sounding shocked.

"Because it's Friday. And you didn't get it last Friday, which means you're getting it tonight. Which means you can splurge tomorrow, right?" I said. She laughed.

"I need a new skirt."

"Need I remind you how much I _hate _shopping, Mei darling?" I said sourly.

"Yes, but my love counteracts your hatred, so we're good!" she replied. I pulled a face, checking on the cookies.

"How do you come to that conclusion?" I asked, dipping my finger in the now empty mixing bowl and licking the excess batter.

"I'm just _that _good," she replied. I snorted.

"You're just _that _retarded," I corrected.

"Hey – watch the Mean Meter, Hikari," Mei warned. Behind her serious tone I detected her irrepressible humour.

"Whatever, nutcase," I said. "I'll pick you up at nine."

"Yay!" she exclaimed, overjoyed at the thought of new clothes. "Okay, I've gotta go now – the manager's just realised I'm on the phone. See you tomorrow!"

"Don't get fired," I replied.

She laughed and hung up.

~o~

When the timer beeped for the cookies, I lifted the trays out of the oven and set them on the bench to cool. Pouring two glasses of milk, I placed them and a plate of the cookies on a tray and carefully carried it up the oak staircase.

"Hey, Ryou!" I called, my voice echoing in the enormous halls. "Cookies are done!"

He didn't reply. When I reached the rumpus room, I realised it was because he was asleep. I sighed and set the tray down quietly on one of the coffee tables, picking up my glass of milk and a warm, soft cookie. I watched him while I chewed thoughtfully, savouring the buttery sweetness and the melted chocolate chips.

As 'The Circle of Life' finale came to a close, and Rafiki held up Simba's baby lion cub before the many animals of Pride Rock, I reached for the remote, switching the TV off. Then I hit the eject button on the VCR and put the tape away in its case, un-rewound. Oh well, they'd never realise. It's not like Ryou watched any of their large collection regularly.

"Come on, big boy," I whispered, nudging my sleeping cousin with my foot. His blue eyes cracked open and he yawned, obediently dragging himself up from the sofa.

"Do you want me to read to you?" I asked, following him down the thickly carpeted hall to his bedroom. It was quite a journey, actually. No wonder he was so skinny – he probably got all the exercise he needed just walking around this place.

"No."

I paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame while the blonde kid clambered into bed. He pulled the covers up under his chin and snuggled down, gazing at me quite intently.

"You ready to sleep now?" I asked. He nodded. I crossed to his bed and leaned down to kiss his forehead, like I always did when I was here. Honestly, sometimes it really felt like the boy actually was my brother. I ruffled his fluffy hair and flicked his bedside light off.

"Goodnight, Ryou. See you next time."

"'Night, Hikari."

I froze in the hall, mid-way through pulling his door shut. That was the first time he'd actually addressed me by my name. I smiled to myself and quietly shut the door, padding back to the rumpus room.

Hmm... What to watch now?

Settling for my personal favourite, _The Little Mermaid_, I grabbed another cookie and curled up on one of the sofas, preparing myself for the next hour and a half of cartoon greatness.

Except I never really saw any of it.

Their footsteps broke my slumber and I awoke, gazing around groggily, completely disoriented.

"Hikari?" my aunt's voice called softly, and I sat up straighter in the seat, widening my eyes. Her shadowy form was silhouetted on the staircase.

"Kyoko?" I yawned. "What time is it?"

"Just after eleven thirty," she whispered. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry, honey."

"Oh, no, it's okay," I said quickly, standing up. The tape had long since finished, and the screen was a bright blur of rainbow streaks. A faint, high pitched noise filled the room. I hit the stop button on the remote and ejected the tape.

"Kentaro wants to speak to you," my aunt told me, watching me from the stairs. "He's waiting for you in the kitchen."

Uh-oh.

I'd forgotten to clean the cookie mess up.

"Oh, sorry!" I gasped quickly. "I'll go fix it now."

"That's okay, honey," Manami replied sweetly, as radiant and lovely as ever. "Thanks again for babysitting tonight. We really appreciate it."

"Anytime," I replied with a smile. "I'm happy to help. I'll... uh... see you later?"

"Sure. Goodnight, Hikari."

"Bye."

Dr. Shirogane was sitting at the island, staring into the distance when I appeared.

"I'm so sorry! I fell asleep and totally forgot about the mess down here!" I babbled my apology, scooping up dirty utensils and rubbish in my arms. "I'll fix it right now, I promise."

He turned his far-away gaze to me, looking confused.

"Pardon?"

"The cookie mess... I forgot to clean it up," I explained, blushing. "Sorry."

He snorted, waving it away with one hand.

"Oh, that's nothing. No issue," he said. "I want to discuss something with you, Hikari. Something very serious. Are you prepared to talk now?"

"Uh... sure." When else would I talk to him? I was hardly ever here!

He took a deep breath.

"Well... as you know, I'm a professor," he began, and I nodded, sinking down onto one of the stools to listen. "And I've been working on a project that I wasn't sure we were ever going to need."

"Okay..." I said, not knowing what else tosay.

"Well... A situation has come to head recently," my uncle continued, staring at the fruit bowl at the end of the island. "And we believe we may have reason to start the project."

"Oh, wow," I said. It seemed appropriate. He smiled a little to himself; a private joke, I guessed.

"The thing is, Hikari... It's a top-secret project. Absolutely classified. We haven't even released records of it to the U.S .Government." He watched me for a moment before continuing. "And the project requires test subjects for it to be fully successful."

Oh, hang on a second.

I thought I knew where this might be going, and if I was correct, then I didn't like it.

"Now, I need you to do something for me, if you're willing to help us out," he said. I swallowed, a hundred million questions surfacing to the tip of my tongue. I didn't voice any of them. I just nodded silently.

"I need you to find this boy for me."

Huh?

He slid a sheet of paper towards me and I picked it up, scanning it with my eyes.

"Kesshi Matsuro?"

He nodded.

"And... who _is_ this kid?" I asked.

"He's a student at your high school," Dr. Shirogane explained. I looked back down at the name.

"Are you sure? I've never heard of him before."

"I'm sure. He's a junior this year, like yourself," he said. My eyebrows twitched in a 'well, there you go!' expression.

"So you want me to find this guy?"

"Yes. And bring him here next Saturday at three o'clock."

"Uh... okay."

"Do you think you can do that for us?" Dr. Shirogane asked, surveying me seriously. I wondered if it was a trick question, bit my lip, and nodded.

"Yeah. I can do it."

"Excellent. Thank you, Hikari."

"Um... No problem. I'll see you Saturday?" I asked, getting up from my stool, my eyes fixed on the strange piece of paper.

"On the knocker."

"Alright... Bye," I said awkwardly, heading towards the door.

"Oh, Hikari!" he called, obviously just remembering something. I paused and turned back around, waiting.

"Bring your friend, too."

"Mei?"

How did he know about her?!

He nodded. I nodded, as well, affirming, my eyes glancing up from the page, and turned on my heel.

I left the enormous, luxurious mansion that night, one very confused and _very_ curious girl.

* * *

**It feels like forever ago that I wrote this. Mind you, it _was _about three months ago, or something equally ridiculous.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that :)**

**Please review; I'd really appreciate some feedback re this baby. I think she needs some work, but I can't put my finger on it.**

**Until the next chapter,**

**Cherrie xx**


End file.
